Font for holy water



Dec. 19, 1933.

H. M. KERBER FONT FOR HOLY WATER Filed DeC. 13, 1932 lili ATTORNE Patented Dec. 419, 1933 1,939,707 FONT FOR HOLY WATER 4Herbert-M. Kerber, Rochester, N. Y.

Application December 13, 193.2.

serial No. 647,014

10 claims. (ci. zei- 78) This invention relates to fonts andmeans for feeding small quantities of water from such fonts and-has for its object to so construct `a vfontaan'd its feeding means that it is especiallyadaptable for use as a holy water font with which every'- one maybless himself by feeding a. small uniform quantity of the holy water into the hand.

Another object of this invention is to so construct the font that it will be completely covered at all times so as to prevent foreign lmatter from settling on Ythe holy water contained therein. l

A further object of this invention is Ato so construct the feeding means of the font-that only a predetermined amount of the holy water vcan be taken fromr the font in order to prevent any Wastingthereof.

These and other objects of this invention will become more readily apparent from the detailed description of it which follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a"holy water font provided with my invention with. which one may Vbless himself with the holy-Water contained therein.

i Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the font forming thesubject matter of this invention.

In the figures of thedrawingrlike reference numerals indicate like parts.

The font forming the `subject matter of my present invention is `provided with a basin which may be used inthe form Ain which it is made or the basin may bel-placed into the holy Water fonts already Vin Vuse in order to provide such fonts with the advantages inherent to my inven-Y tion. .s

As illustratedY in the drawing, especially Figure 2 thereof, the font comprises a suitable basin 1 which may have any desired capacity for the receipt of the holy water. In the top of the basin lis provided an opening 2 thru which the font is filled. A closure member 3 normally closes this opening and provides the support forthe feeding device which operates to 'bring' a predetermined small quantity of the holy water into contact with the hand of the person desiring blessing thereby.

This feeding device comprises a vertical feeding tube 4 which has vits Wall perforated within the basin as indicated at- 5, 5. Within thetube is placed a sponge or other member 6 which is adapted to freely absorb and hold absorbed a quantity of the holywater which is allowed to enter the tube thru the holes 5, 5; or the open bottom thereof. A portion of the sponge 6 is allowed to projectabove-the top of the feeding tube 4 as indicated at 7. Over the outwardly extending portion rI of the sponge andthe upper portionV of the feeding tube 4 is telescoped the sleeve plunger 8V which is'closed at the top -by the contact member 9. This contact member is slightly depressed in the middleand has'a central hole l0 provided in the depression. `The inside of the contact member 9"normally rests on top of the projecting portion 7 of the sponge 6 and holds the plunger in its elevated position illustrated in Figure 2. A flange 11 surrounding the seeve plunger at the lower end of it within the closure member 3 keeps the plunger from being Withdrawn from the feeding tube after it has been mounted thereon.

The closure member 3 has a sleeve extension 2 which surrounds the plunger sleeve 8 and extends under theoverhanging portion ofthe contactmernber 9 to have its upper end encased thereby. The feeding tube is supported in a iixed position on the closure member 3 which, for this purpose, projects down into the basin to a point where the flange member 13 can provide a suitable connection between the tube 4 and the closure member extension without interfering with-,a downward movement lof the lower end of the sleeve plunger within the closure member.

The plunger 8 is thus permitted to be forced down on the feeding tube 4 by means of the contact member 9 in order to compress the projecting portion 7 of the sponge 6 between the under side of the'contact member and the upper end of the feeding tube. The small quantity of holy water held suspended in this portion of the sponge is thus forced out thereof and thru Vthe hole lo in the contact member against the portion of the hand with which the Contact member has been depressed.

On the release of the Contact member by the hand, the expansion of the compressed portion of the sponge raises the plunger'to its normal position which allows more holy Water to be absorbed by the sponge to replace what has been used therefrom. Any water remaining in the depression of theV contact member after the plunger has been released will reenter the hole 10 and be reabsorbed by the sponge. The slid` ing joint between the inside of the sleeve plunger and the outside of the feedingV tube is provided with suicient clearance so that any water which is forced out of the sponge and cannot escape thru the hole l0 in the contact member of the plunger will be forced down between the plunger and the feeding tube into the space surrounding the closure member and reenter the basin 1 thru a suitable opening 14 provided for this purpose at or near the bottom of this space.

For the purpose of limiting the movement of the plunger in compressing the portion of the sponge above the feeding tube a collar 15 may be threaded on the upwardly projecting portion of the closure member 3. This collar forms a stop for the overhanging portion of the contact member 9 and by threading the collar up or down on the closure member the movement of the plunger can be Varied to provide the desired compression of the sponge above the feeding tube.

As illustrated in Figure 1 the basin 2 is made so as to be adapted to be supported within the holy water font 15. This figure illustrates the open exposed type of font now used for the holy water which, with my invention, can be transformed into a closed font as above described. If for any reason itis desired to retain the basin of the original font, a cover made in accordance with the upper portion of the basin 1 of the font illustrated in Figure 1 may be used to cover the original font and support the feeding means therein to feed the holy water from the basin of the original font.

I claim: f

1. In combination with a font for holy water of a feeding tube, an absorbent member located within and protruding from the upper end of said feeding tube, a plunger telescoping over the outside of the end c f said feeding tube and the protruding portion of the absorbent member carried thereby so as to compress the absorbent member above said feeding tube on the movement of said plunger down on said feeding tube, said plunger having an opening therein to permit the escape of Water expressed from said absorbent member on the compression thereof.

2. In combination with a font for holy water of a feeding tube, an absorbent member located within said feeding tube and protruding from the upper end thereof, a plunger mounted to telescope on said feeding tube and providing a collapsible chamber surrounding the protruding portion of said absorbent member above said feeding tube, and means for xedly supporting said feeding tube. Y

3. In combination with a font for holy water of a feeding tube, an absorbent member located Within said feeding tube and protruding from the upper end thereof, a plunger mounted to slide on said feeding tube and provide a collapsible charnber surrounding the protruding portion of said absorbent member above said feedingr tube,

means for xedly supporting said feeding tube within said tube and protruding from the upper end thereof, a supporting member surrounding said feeding tube intermediate the ends thereof, a plunger mounted to slide between said supporting member and said feeding tube and forming a collapsible chamber encasing the protruding portion of said absorbing member, said plunger having a hole therein to permit the water expressed from said sponge to escape therethru when compressing the protruding portion thereof on the movement of said plunger down over said feeding tube. Y

5. In a holy water font the combination of a basin having an inlet, a closure member for said Y inlet, la supporting member depending from said closure member, a feeding tube supported by said supporting member and projecting above said closure member, a plunger mounted to slide on said feeding tube above said closure member and providing a collapsible chamber above said feeding tube, an absorbent member located within said feeding tube and projecting into said collapsible chamber formed by said plunger.

6. In a holy water font the combination of a basin having an inlet, a, closure member for said inlet; a supporting member projecting below said closure member, a feeding tube vmounted centrally of said closure member and supported by said supporting member, a tubular extension 4projecting above said closure member and surrounding said feeding tube, and a plunger mounted to telescope between said tubular extension and said feeding tube to jointly hold said feeding tube concentric to said closure member and provide a free movement of said plunger on said feeding tube. y

'7. In a holy water font the combination of a basin having an inlet, a closure member for said inlet; V.a supporting member projecting below said closure member, a feeding tube mounted centrally of said closure member and supported by said supporting member, a tubular extension projecting above said closure member and surrounding said feeding tube, and a plunger mounted to telescope between said tubular extension and said feeding tube to jointly hold said feeding tube concentric to said closure member and provide a free movement of said plunger on said feeding tube, and an overhanging concentric flange surrounding the upper end of said plunger to encircle the upper end of said tubular extension and provide a cylindrical chamber for said extension to project thereinto on the downward movement of said plunger.

8. In a holy water font the combination of a basin having an inlet, a closure member for said inlet; a supporting member projecting below said closure member, a feeding tube mounted centrally of said closure member and supported by said supporting member, a tubular extension projecting above said closure member and surrounding said feeding tube, and a plunger mounted to telescope between said tubular extension and said feeding tube to jointly hold said feeding tube concentric to said closure member'and provide a free movement of said plunger on said feeding tube, an adjustable member carried by said extension of said closure member to limit the movement of said plunger.

9. In combination with a font for holy water" having an opening in the top, of a removable cover for said opening, a movable plunger carried by said cover, a feeding tube suspended from said cover, an absorbent member carried by said feeding tube, said movable plunger being adapted to compress said absorbent member and having an outlet in the end thereof thru which the water expressed from the absorbent member is forced.

1i). In combination with a font for holy water of a removable cover for said font, a feeding tube carried by said removable cover so as to hold it suspended in said font, a movable closure member having an opening therein for saidffeeding tube on the outside of vsaid removable cover and means associated Vwith said movable closure member foi HERBERT M. KERBER. 

